The IWF has received and recognized the IOC’s decision on the provisional suspension of the National Olympic Committee and – among others – the Weightlifting Federation of Iraq.

Quote: The Iraqi National Olympic Committee is suspended on a provisional basis ? with all the consequences provided by the Olympic Charter – as a protective measure due to the interferences from the Iraqi government authorities. The IOC does not recognize any ‘interim committee’ nor any other officers appointed by the Iraqi government authorities to supervise the NOCI or the Iraqi Olympic and sports movement and reiterates its full support to the office bearers of the NOCI and Olympic and sports movement who were legitimately elected. The IOC – together with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Iraqi NOC office bearers who were legitimately elected – will invite representatives of the Iraqi government authorities in order to analyse the situation and find appropriate solutions for the Iraqi NOC and the Iraqi Olympic and sports movement as a whole, including the athletes, provided that the principles and rules laid down in the Olympic Charter will always be strictly observed, in particular the autonomy of the Iraqi NOC and the Olympic and sports movement. The IOC will continue to look for ways to help Iraqi athletes, although the situation created by the Iraqi government authorities makes the task very difficult.Unquote

In the case of weightlifting, it means that the participation of the one athlete (quota obtained by Iraq) in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is subject to the further development of the above situation.